Book folder



United States Patent 3,441,195 BOOK FOLDER Ronald V. Johnson,Bloomington, Minn., assignor to Hoerner-Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul,Minn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 674,243Int. Cl. B65d /12, 85/00 US. Cl. 229-40 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The invention comprises a tubular folder designed forcontaining books and the like during shipment. The ends of the foldermay be closed by end panels hinged to the ends of one main panel. Theother main panel as well as the side walls, extend beyond the ends ofsaid one main panel, and the structure at each end of the folder is cutand creased to provide a partial end panel, and a projectingchannel-shaped extension on each side of the partial end panel. Theoutwardly projecting channel-shaped extensions protect the contents fromdamage.

This invention relates to an improvement in book folders and dealsparticularly with a folder capable of protecting books or similarobjects, and which may be made at relatively low cost.

Books such as law books and the like are normally packaged in folders ofone type or another, usually made of corrugated paperboard. Certain ofthese containers, such as shown in my previous Patent 3,302,852 issuedFeb. 7, 1967, are containers having recessed ends which support the endsof the book in spaced relation to the ends of the enclosing container.Such containers have been produced in high volume. However, I have foundthat extremely good results may be obtained at a somewhat lower cost, byproviding a container in which the opposite side portions of the endsproject beyond the center portion thereof, providing a container havingchannel-shaped projections at each end which serve to protect the endsof the book or similar article.

In most of the previous recessed end containers, the ends of the top andbottom panels of the container are provided with a first flap or flangeconnected to each end of each main panel and which is folded throughsubstantially 180 to lie fiat against the inner surface thereof. An endwall panel is hinged to each such liner flange to form the recessedcontainer end. The resultant blank is thus longer than the main panelsof the container by twice the length of the liner panels and twice thelength of the end wall panels. An advantage of the present constructionlies in the fact that the blank may be substantially decreased in sizewhile still providing adequate protection for the contents.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of acontainer secured in tubular form and including a pair of main panels,substantially equal in width to the book and an intermediate pair ofside wall panels which are equal in width to the thickness of the bookbeing enclosed. One of the main panels is substantially equal in lengthto the book, and is foldably connected to a pair of end closure panelsdesigned to fold over to close the ends of the tubular structure. Theother main panel is somewhat longer than the length of the book. Partialend wall panels are foldably connected to the center portions of theends of this main panel and are designed for folding outwardly of theend panels of the other main panels. Each partial end wall is'hingedlyconnected to a generally U-shaped reinforcing panel, the cross member ofwhich is designed to be adhered in face contact with the first mainpanel. Flaps are hingedly connected to the sides of the reinforcingpanel and are folded over the ends of the side walls and are adheredthereto. This results in a container having a substantiallychannel-shaped projection on each side of each end, these channel shapedprojectrons on each side of each ends, these channel shaped grojlectionsacting to protect the ends of the enclosed 0o These and other objectsand novel features of the present invention will be more clearly andfully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the closed container.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view of the blank in flat folded form.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one end of the container in partiallyclosed position.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional -view through the end of the containerin closed condition thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the container isformed.

The book folder is indicated in general by the letter A. The folderincludes a main panel 10, a side wall panel 11, a second main panel 12,and a second side wall panel 13 connected along parallel fold lines 14,15, and 16. The four panels are connected in tubular relation bysuitable means such as by the tape strip 17. When in this condition, theblank appears as indicated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

The main panel 10 is connected to end closure flaps 20 along parallelfold lines 19, which intersect the previously described fold lines atright angles. The fold lines 19 are spaced apart a distancesubstantially equal to the length of the book being contained and theend panels 20 are proper size to close the ends of the tubular arrangedwalls which have been described.

The second main panel 12, as well as the first and second side walls 11and 13 are of equal length and are somewhat longer than the main panel10, the side walls 11 and 13 terminating along aligned cut lines 21which extend across the side walls 11 and 13 and extend into the mainpanel 12 to terminate in Widely spaced relation. Right angular cut lines22 communicate with the inner opposed ends of the cut lines 21 andextend toward one another into the main panel 12. Fold lines 23 whichare generally aligned with the fold lines 19 of the main panel 10connect the inner ends of the cut lines 22 to connect the centerportions of the main panel 12 to a pair of partial end wall panels 24.Cut lines 25 which are aligned with the cut lines 22 form an extensionof the cut lines 22, and the other ends of the cut lines 25 areconnected by parallel fold lines 26 which form edges of the partial endwalls 24. In other words, the partial end walls 24 are defined byparallel fold lines 23 and 26, and by thecut lines 22, 25, on each sideof each panel 24.

This arrangement provides a generally U-shaped flange 27 at each end ofthe main panel 12. Flaps 29 and 30 are hingedly connected to oppositesides of U-shaped flanges 27 along parallel fold lines 31 which aregenerally aligned with, but somewhat outwardly offset from, the foldlines 15 and 16 defining the sides of the main panel 12.

In use, the carton A is erected into tubular relation with the mainpanels 10 and 12 in parallel relation and with the side walls 11 and 13in parallel relation and in right angular relation to the main panels.The book or other such object is inserted into the tubular folder, andthe closure flaps 20 are folded into right angular relation to the mainpanel 10 to close the ends of the tubular structure. The partial endwalls 24 are next folded upwardly into face contact with the outersurfaces of the end panels 20. During this operation, the U-shapedflanges 27 are folded along the fold lines 26 so that the cross memberof the U-shaped flanges 27, or the portion of each U-shaped flange 27which extends beyond the fold line 26 is in overlapping relation withthe end portions of the main panel as indicated in FIGURE 1 of thedrawings. The comer flaps 29 and 30 are folded to overlie the ends ofthe side walls 11 and 13, respectively, and are adhere thereto. Aportion of each U-shaped flange 27 which overlaps the main panel 10 mayalso be adhered in face contact therewith.

When closed, the container appears as indicated in FIGURE 1 of thedrawings, there being a channel-shaped projection on each side of eachend of the container which projects beyond the end walls to serve as aprotection for the ends of the book.

It will be noted that the channel-shaped projections at each corner ofthe folder are of double thickness along the sides of the folder, makingthe extensions very resistant to crushing or bending if the folder isdropped. Thus, while the blank which forms the folder is of somewhatsmaller size than the recessed end folders previously made, the folderhas been found to adequately protect the contents during shipment.

To facilitate the opening of the folder, parallel Weakened lines ofseparation 32 extends across the blank from end to end thereof, theweakened lines perferably extending in right angular relation to theflutes of the corrugated paperboard. A generally H-shaped cut 33 in themain panel 10 intersects the weakened lines of separation and forms tabs34 which may be grasped and pulled to tear the paperboard along theweakened lines of separation.

I claim:

1. A book folder including:

first and second main panels marginally connected in parallel relationby parallel side wall panels to provide a tubular body,

an end closure panel hinged to an end of said first main panel andfoldable to close an end of said tubular body,

a partial end wall hinged to the center portion of said second mainpanel and spaced from said side walls,

a U-shaped reinforcing flange including end portions and a crossconnecting member having its cross connecting member hingedly connectedto said partial end wall along a line of fold parallel to the hingeconnection between said partial end wall and said second main panel andbetween the end portions of said reinforcing flange,

said cross connecting member being foldable into face contact with saidfirst main panel whereupon said end portions thereof project beyond saidpartial end walls.

2. The structure of claim 1 and including side flaps on said endportions of said reinforcing flange foldable into face contact with theends of said side walls.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which the end portions of saidreinforcing flaps, the ends of said side walls,

and the portions of said second main panel outwardly of said partial endpanel form opposed channel-shaped extensions when secured together.

4. The book container comprising:

a tubular folder enclosing the book including a pair of main panelsoverlying opposite surfaces of said book and side panels connectingopposed edges of said book,

end closure panels hinged to one of said main panels and folded acrossthe ends of said tubular folder, and

opposed channel-shaped projections on opposite sides of said main panelsprojecting beyond said end closure panels.

5. The structure of claim 4 and in which said channelshaped projectionsinclude side wall portions of double thickness.

6. A blank for forming a book folder including:

a first main panel, a first side wall panel, a second main panel and asecond side wall panel connected along parallel fold lines, said panelsbeing foldable to provide a hollow rectangular tubular sleeve,

one of said main panels including a pair of end wall closure panelsfoldably connected to the ends thereof,

the other of said main panels as well as said side walls extendingbeyond the lines of fold connecting said one main panel to said end wallclosure panels,

said blank including cut lines defining the ends of said side Walls andextending into said other main panel to terminate in widely spacedrelation,

parallel cut lines intersecting the ends of said cut lines at rightangles thereto and extending in opposite directions therefrom to definethe ends of a partial end wall,

fold lines connecting the ends of said right angularly extending cutlines and defining the sides of said partial end wall,

the portions of said blank outwardly of the outermost of said foldlines, together with the portions of said blank outwardly of said outlines defining a U-shaped flange foldable into overlapping relation tosaid one main panel,

7. The structure of claim 6 and including fold lines extending acrosssaid U-shaped flange generally aligned with the lines of fold connectingother main panel to said side Wall panels to provide side flaps hingedto said U-shaped flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,064,875 11/1962 Mairs 206-46 X3,211,359 10/1965 Fickes 22940 3,263,897 8/1966 Giroux 22940 3,302,8512/1967 Johnson 229-14 X 3,386,642 6/1968 Young 229-40 FOREIGN PATENTS745,491 11/1966 Canada.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner.

